I am excited about the beginning of Sunday School next week. I hope that you will make plans on coming out to Sunday School and to bringing others out to Sunday School as well.
The first Sunday School was started in 1780s by a man named Robert Raikes who had a burden for the children of his day. He started a Sunday School in Gloucester, England in 1780 and by 1786 an estimated 250,000 children were attending Sunday Schools all over the place.
By the mid-1980s the U.S. alone had 29.7 million Sunday School students, although there has been a significant decline in Sunday Schools in the late 1980s and 1990s.
As we begin our Sunday School program next week at Fellowship Baptist Church, I ask that all of us pray for God's working in our Sunday School program. Pray for our teachers. Pray for our students. Pray for God to be glorified and lives to be changed.
I found these verses the other day that I thought were appropriate for this week's bulletin. (To the tune of God Bless America)
God bless our Sunday School - Built on Thy Word;
Leaning only on Jesus As the way and the truth and the Word
From the preschool, To the high school,
To the seniors, one and all;
God bless our Sunday School - On Thee we call
God bless our Sunday School - On Thee we call.
God use our Sunday School - Stir us, we pray.
Move us boldly to witness of Thy Son Who's the truth and the Way
With our families and our neighbors
In the country and the town,
God use our Sunday School - May grace abound.
God use our Sunday School - May grace abound.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
End of the Series on Elijah
On Sunday, we finished our series on Elijah that we have been studying at the church. When we started this series before Mother's Day, I did not expect that we would still be on Elijah in September.
After studying the life of Elijah for the last few months, part of me feels like I just said "good- bye" to an old friend in Sunday's sermon. It has been encouraging and challenging to read and study the life of this man who James tells us "was subject to like passions as we are (James 5:17)." It is challenging to see this man of God rise up out of obscurity and boldly proclaim God's message to a king, queen, and nation that had rejected God's ways. It is encouraging to see God's provision for this man and remember that God will take care of His children. It is challenging to see this man of God standing against the prophets of Baal and praying earnestly for the rain that God brings. It is encouraging to remember that the same God who sent the rain in answer to Elijah's prayer desires that we bring our prayers to Him, as well.
One of the most encouraging things that showed up in the study for Sunday's message was thinking through the ramifications of Elisha's actions after Elijah was taken to heaven. When Elisha asks "Where is the God of Elijah?" and then God parts the Jordan, the simple, but very important truth rings out - the God of Elijah is still in control and the God of Elijah will continue to "shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him (2 Chronicles 16:9)."
We plan on adding the last sermon of this series on the church web-site this week and then have plans on making the entire series available soon (except for the one week when we were without electricity and could not record). I'll let you know when those plans are completed.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
After studying the life of Elijah for the last few months, part of me feels like I just said "good- bye" to an old friend in Sunday's sermon. It has been encouraging and challenging to read and study the life of this man who James tells us "was subject to like passions as we are (James 5:17)." It is challenging to see this man of God rise up out of obscurity and boldly proclaim God's message to a king, queen, and nation that had rejected God's ways. It is encouraging to see God's provision for this man and remember that God will take care of His children. It is challenging to see this man of God standing against the prophets of Baal and praying earnestly for the rain that God brings. It is encouraging to remember that the same God who sent the rain in answer to Elijah's prayer desires that we bring our prayers to Him, as well.
One of the most encouraging things that showed up in the study for Sunday's message was thinking through the ramifications of Elisha's actions after Elijah was taken to heaven. When Elisha asks "Where is the God of Elijah?" and then God parts the Jordan, the simple, but very important truth rings out - the God of Elijah is still in control and the God of Elijah will continue to "shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him (2 Chronicles 16:9)."
We plan on adding the last sermon of this series on the church web-site this week and then have plans on making the entire series available soon (except for the one week when we were without electricity and could not record). I'll let you know when those plans are completed.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Friday, September 15, 2006
Baptismal Service
I wanted to post this earlier this week, but do to some difficulty with the networking aspect of the computer that I use for pictures, it has been delayed until today.
Praise the Lord for the Great Baptismal Service.
This past Sunday was a special day here at Fellowship Baptist Church in Salisbury, Maryland. In addition to our regular Sunday Morning Worship Service this past Sunday(in which we are still looking at the life of Elijah), we had a Fellowship Lunch and a Baptismal service down at the Insley's house down at the Nanticoke River.
These are the first Baptisms that we have had since I began as Pastor of Fellowship Baptist CHurch and other than Michelle K. (a teen - now married with children - who I had the privilege of baptizing when I was a Youth Pastor at Heritage Baptist Church in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey), these are the first baptism that I have ever had the privilege of performing.
The time of fellowship was great before the Baptismal service and the Baptisms went well. It was neat for me to help these three individuals take this step of obedience to the Lord.
A special treat for me was the privilege of baptizing my own son, Josiah. As a father, it is a blessing to me to see the growth in his life. I also had the privilege of baptizing Victoria, who came to know Christ on our last Sunday in the old building, and Dave, who has been saved for a number of years, but had never before been baptized.
Having the baptisms at the river was a really nice touch. Since we do not have a baptismal at the church building (yet), the location on the Nanticoke River seemed like an ideal spot. The Lord gave us good weather for the baptisms and the water was not too cold.
Below are some pictures of the baptisms that my wife took.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
(Cross-posted on A Thinking Man's Thoughts)
Praise the Lord for the Great Baptismal Service.
This past Sunday was a special day here at Fellowship Baptist Church in Salisbury, Maryland. In addition to our regular Sunday Morning Worship Service this past Sunday(in which we are still looking at the life of Elijah), we had a Fellowship Lunch and a Baptismal service down at the Insley's house down at the Nanticoke River.
These are the first Baptisms that we have had since I began as Pastor of Fellowship Baptist CHurch and other than Michelle K. (a teen - now married with children - who I had the privilege of baptizing when I was a Youth Pastor at Heritage Baptist Church in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey), these are the first baptism that I have ever had the privilege of performing.
The time of fellowship was great before the Baptismal service and the Baptisms went well. It was neat for me to help these three individuals take this step of obedience to the Lord.
A special treat for me was the privilege of baptizing my own son, Josiah. As a father, it is a blessing to me to see the growth in his life. I also had the privilege of baptizing Victoria, who came to know Christ on our last Sunday in the old building, and Dave, who has been saved for a number of years, but had never before been baptized.
Having the baptisms at the river was a really nice touch. Since we do not have a baptismal at the church building (yet), the location on the Nanticoke River seemed like an ideal spot. The Lord gave us good weather for the baptisms and the water was not too cold.
Below are some pictures of the baptisms that my wife took.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
(Cross-posted on A Thinking Man's Thoughts)
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